Lake Vrynwy-Abersoch

Bright and early the next morning we set off on a circuit of the lake which looked absolutely stunning in the autumn sunshine with all the beautiful autumn colours reflecting in the mill pond waters. The only hazard waa a squirrel who fatally misjudged the spped of the Nimrod and was accidentally run over. Lunch was a splendid affair with Mark Jurd & Kevin Stilwell having organised imperial style picnic boxes for the roof of each coach and these were filled with a

series of delights as only those who have sampled a Mark Jurd picnic will understand. The horses were stabled that night at Bala and the guest transferred to the White Lion Hotel, an old coaching inn. Day two and we began our serious assault on the wilds of Wales crossing the valley which contains the Llyn Celin reservoir and making our way up through Llan Festiniog and down through the village with much assistance from the brake shoe until we finally made it to Maentwrog and the Grapes Hotel. Yet another Coaching Inn and the landlord and most of the residents met us in period costume a la 1809 and after the horses had been bedded down for the night at a local treking centre we enjoyed a dinner C1809 with Pike and Lamb Cawl all of us in period costume.Day three saw us taking the scenic root through the Aber Glaslyn Valley to Beddgelert for lunch. The drive included hills where passengers had to alight and stretch their legs a little to lighten the coach and also steep descents. Colin Pawson guard on the Nimrod managed to cook some bacon on the very hot drag shoe and warm some mince pies as well. The Goat at Beddgelert was our lunch stop where the two gualrds Peter Alder & Colin took on the roles of teachers to the school children who came to inspect the horses and coaches. The afternoon drive took us back down the pass via Penrhyndeudraeth and a 17% descent (accomplished with ease thankfully by both teams) and to our overnight stop at Castle Deheubarth, Portmerion. The day was not quite over for the horses though as they had to drive a further 3.5 miles to their overnight stables and a mile of this was on the Portmadoc Cob with the sea one side and a railway line at eye/blinker height on the other, exciting!

well and I think we were lucky that they did not breathalise anyone. The afternoon saw us wind our way back slightly inland to the Bron Eifion Hotel at Criccieth. Again the horses went a bit further to their stables at Llanystumdwy.The final day dawned as had all the previous ones bright and sunny and we struck out on the final twenty four miles to our destination. Again some hills were tackled with passengers off and a lost shoe caused a slight delay, but our lunch stop of Rhyd y Clafdy was reached in good time. Here we picked up our Abersochian guests and after a delicious lunch took the back roads into Abersoch. Narrow lanes with ditches, and a couple of steep descents were all achieved with no problems though the drag shoe on the Monarch was getting seriously thin. Rod took the reins of the Monarch as we pulled into the Village of Abersoch to a tremendous reception. Not a dry eye in the house, The horses had been amazing not one ailment, keen and up for it throughout the trip. The weather, the stunning scenery and the comradeship and good company had made for a memorable tour.Every evening we had been entertained with readings from Reynardson's Down the Road, and with our MC Chris awarded his medals of merit for achievements during the day, the sillier the better.